Indonesia consists of over 17,000 islands and is the world's
largest archipelago. Not only is Indonesia
the fourth largest country in the world, but it's two
largest islands, Borneo and Sumatra, are the
third and sixth largest islands in the world. The island of Borneo is about the
size of Texas and is divided by three countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, and
Brunei. The country of Brunei is the smallest of the Southeast Asian countries
and is about the size of the US state of Delaware. The terrain throughout most
of the islands is lowland coastal, but on the larger islands mountains and
volcanoes can be found. Brunei consists of hilly lowlands in the western
portions of the country, swamps along the coast, and mountains in the eastern
part of the country.

Indonesia is also a major oil producer and a large producer
of tin. Brunei is a country rich in oil and in liquefied natural gas, though it
lacks in other areas. The country is not able to support all of its needs for
foodstuffs because of the lack of land and people to work the land, but
agricultural development is on the rise because of government involvement and a
desire to be self-sufficient in the future. The climate is suited for growing
rice along the coasts and fruits and vegetables are grown in the interior of
the country. Forests cover three-quarters of Brunei and the government protects
them from vanishing by limiting the amount of logging to meet local needs only
(Government of Brunei, Economy).

Population

The population of Indonesia is the largest in Southeast Asia
at 231.6 million people (World Population Data Sheet, 2007). The population of
Brunei, however, is the smallest of the Southeast Asian countries with only
0.374 million people (World Population Data Sheet, 2007). In Indonesia the
majority of the population is located on the islands of Java. Because of Java's
large population the government has instituted a resettlement program that
relocates the people to other islands. This migration has caused problems as
the land of the indigenous people is taken over and a new culture and way of
life is forced upon them. The population of Brunei is concentrated around the
oil fields in the western corner of the country and in the capital city (Bandar
Seri Begawan) in the east. With it's small population Brunei has had
difficulty finding enough labor and has been forced to import from other
countries.

Climate

The climate of Indonesia is a tropical one, hot and humid in
most of the islands. Exceptions can be found on the larger islands where the
higher elevations affect the temperatures. The islands are subject to numerous
natural hazards such as severe droughts, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, and
volcanoes. Brunei also has an equatorial climate with rainfall varying from
2,500 mm per year on the coast and 7,500 mm in the interior (Government of
Brunei, Land and People).

The People

In Indonesia over 742 languages and almost every religion can
be found somewhere in the country (wiki page). The official language is Bahasa, which is a modified form of Malay, which was
instituted as the official language in 1949 when Indonesia gained its
independence. The language is spoken by over 80% of the population as a first
or second language while the rest of the country speaks English, Dutch, or a
local indigenous language such as Javanese, which is spoken by 75 million
people (wiki pages). The majority of the people in Brunei speak Malay, with a
small population of English and various dialects of Chinese.

The major religion of Indonesia
is Islam that accounts for 86% of the population (CIA World Factbook,Indonesia).
Brunei is also a predominantly Muslim country (67%), with the Sultan as the
head of faith. Other major religions found in the country are Buddhist (13%),
Christian (10%), and various indigenous and other beliefs (10%) (CIA World Factbook, Brunei).

The culture of Brunei is a mixture of influences from the
four dominating periods of its existence- animism, Hinduism, Islam, and the
Western influence, with Islam having the greatest affect on the philosophy and
ideology of the people. In the Brunei Museum and the Malay Technology Museum
elements of Brunei's past can be seen in the displays of bronze tools, wood
carvings, cloth weaving, musical instruments, and women's jewelry (Government
of Brunei, Language and Culture). The population celebrates a variety of
holidays ranging from National Day (February 23) to traditional Islamic
festivals to Teacher's Day (September 23).

Economic Development

The economic development of Indonesia has increased rapidly
over the last 30 years, but the country still remains a poor one with a GNI PPP
of $3,950 for 2007 (World Population Data Sheet, 2007). Indonesia is an
exporter of coffee, spices, tea, rubber, and palm oil products, which
constitute for 13% of its exports (Bradshaw, 278). The economy of Brunei is
relatively dependent upon its oil and natural gas production, though it is
working on diversifying its interests because of the limited supply. The
country is able to produce 65% of the vegetables it needs and 11% of the fruit
it needs and has also become involved in rice production and cattle and buffalo
ranches (Government of Brunei, Economy). There is also talk of making the
fishing industry more highly developed, possibly with foreign assistance
(Government of Brunei, Economy). Brunei is also concentrating on developing its
tourism industry and is hoping to have at least one million people a year visit
the country (Government of Brunei, Tourism).

Demographic Analysis

Countries

2007-Population

(Millions)

Rate of Natural

Increase %

Infant Mortality

Rate

Gni

PPP

Brunei

.4

1.6

7

-

Indonesia

231.6

1.7

34

3,950

Indonesia

Dutch Colonial Rule

Indonesia was a colony of the Netherlands until December 27,
1949. The Dutch had ruled in Indonesia since 1515 and controlled all of the
islands with the exception of East Timor, which was controlled by Portugal. The
importance of Indonesia as a Dutch colony was that the capital city of
Indonesia (Jakarta) was used as the headquarters for exporting goods. The Dutch
operated under the Dutch East India Trading Company and forced farmers to work
on plantations to produce crops in demand such as coffee, sugar, and indigo,
rather than trying to produce enough food to feed themselves.

Political Rule

Indonesia is a democratic republic with the capital city of
Jakarta on the island of Java. It was ruled by a semi-dictatorial ruler named
Sukarno after it gained its independence. Sukarno was forced to resign in 1967
and Suharto assumed rule. Suharto was forced to resign in 1997 when the United
States came to Indonesia's aid.

East Timor

When Portugal granted East Timor independence it was taken
over by Indonesia, who controls the western half of the island. The western
half of the island is predominantly Muslim, while the east half is Catholic
because of the Portuguese influence. The East Timorese went to war with
Indonesia in 1975 and were forced in submission when Indonesia cut off their
food supply. Another war erupted in 1999 that led to East Timor being given
independence from Indonesia.

Brunei

Oil Wealth

The majority of Brunei's wealth comes from oil and liquefied
natural gas production. It ranks as third in Southeast Asia in oil production
and fourth in the world in natural gas production (Government of Brunei,
Economy). Oil and natural gas accounts for about 36% of Brunei’s Gross
Domestic Product in 1996.

Political Rule

At one time the reign of sultanate of Brunei extended over
the islands of Sarawak, Sabah, and a portion of the Philippines. The country
became a protectorate of Britain in the late nineteenth century. Britain
allowed Brunei to establish a system of self-government in 1959, and Brunei
gained full independence on January 1, 1984 (Government of Brunei, Brief
History). Today, the country of Brunei is still a sultanate and operates under
a written constitution. The current leader, Yang Di-Pertuan,
has ruled since the country gained its independence in 1984. The sultan not
only operates as the head of the government, but also as the head of the
Islamic religion in Brunei (Government of Brunei, System of Government).